This is a core microbiology facility which will interact with the behavioral and epidemiological studies described in project 6 and with the basic science described in project 1, 2, 4, and 5, as well as with other NIH supported research in Dr. Sparling's lab, which is not explicitly described in this proposal. The core will serve to link the arenas of epidemiology and behavioral science with those of microbiology and immunology. In particular, activities supported by this core will help to determine whether there is serovar specific immunity in mucosal gonococcal infection; whether behavioral factors influence the prevalence of antibiotic resistant gonococci; and, whether some gonococci are more likely to cause asymptomatic disease than others. In addition, the core will serve as a repository for serum and mucosal antibody specimens collected on clients seen at the Wilson County STD Clinic and also for serum samples obtained from volunteers in the human inoculation studies described in Project 3. These samples will be made available to investigators on basic science projects in this Center as well as other investigators at other institutions.